45 colt ruger/tc 185 gr h110 or other powder HOT loads wanted

[Gallahad]

 i will be running em thru a 454 so not real concerned about pressure. I don't really want cases busting up on me though. 185 gr. jacketed hollow point, and I have some h110. reduced 454 loads with the same bullet would also be helpfull, I just don't have those dies yet. long as im at it, reduced 300 gr. 454 loads would be helpfull too.
Thanks!

[Graybeard]

i will be running em thru a 454 so not real concerned about pressure.

You might not be but I am. I absolutely WILL NOT allow hotter than book loads to be listed on this site. PERIOD!

[Lone Star]

i will be running em thru a 454 so not real concerned about pressure...

Like GB said, you SHOULD be concerned.  Firing bullets designed for the .45 LC (most of those availaible) at .454 pressures can make them fully upset in the forcing cone, causing pressures to skyrocket and the bullets to break up.  The 185s are even worse since many use pure lead cores with very thin jackets to expand at .45 ACP velocities.  H110 is NOT an appropriate powder for reduced loads either, it can casue severe problems.    Again, Do not use .45LC bullets at .454 pressures.

You do not need .454 dies to load that cartridge.  If you have .45LC dies on hand they can be used just fine by raising them up in the press.


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[Lloyd Smale]

I guess ill be the one to ask. What the hell are you planning on doing with that combo. Those are 45acp bullets if there 185 hps and not anywhere near strong enough to hold up to hunting anything  bigger then a coyote.  They are probably .451 bullets and arent going to shoot exceptionaly well even at low velocitys and surely arent when kicked in the but with a stiff charge of 110. One thing for sure if you shove enough of them out of that gun at speed youll need a new barrel in short order as your forcing cone isnt going to take it. Id sell them on the classifieds and buy some bullets like 250 xtps  or some good cast bullets that are designed for what your doing. I like to experiment too but sometimes what we dream up is a total waste of powder and primmers and it your case this is one of them.

[Gallahad]

I completely respect that GB. I should have been more carefull with my question. I don't want any loads that are hotter than published loads, I have a lack of data at this time so I came here.I wanted high end ruger loads. I learned a bunch from the replies though. I understood almost  everything, h110 was for hot loads, but I included other powders in the question for reduced 454 stuff. I know you cant reduce h110 more than 3%.  I had planned on using bonded  bullets in 185 grain for increased speed, hopefully resulting in flatter trajectory, for deer hunting. everybody here says thats a no-no, and I listen to experience, so whats the best way to get a flatter trajectory? (besides knowing your load and its limits) are 454 bullets thicker jacketed in general?  I had thought that some of the xtp's for example were fine for 45 & 454?  Also, at under 2000 fps I don't understand how barrels could wear out quickly? How do you know if you have the correct bullet shape & speed for the forcing cone of you revolver besides looking at load data, and what happens if you don't?  Lots of question, and now they are in the wrong forum, but I do need to know this stuff, I certainly dont want to wreck my guns or get myself or other hurt. Thanks guys.

[Hairtrigger]

If you are using XTP bullets call Hornady and talk to Bob. He will listen carefully, ask a few questions and help you accomplish what you want.
Be carefull when you use the word hot.

I believe you are trying to get the most out of the bullet using 45lc cases.  You simply want to push a 185gr bullet as fast as a 45lc can but you are using a handgun that is chambered for 454.


Do not load a 45lc case to 454 capacities. Memories fade and bad things can happen

[stimpylu32]

Gallahad

A little more info is needed to help ,

What gun are you going to be shooting ?

What cases are you going to be using ?

What brand of bullet ?

What dia. bullet ?

Just how fast are you wanting to push them ?

stimpy

[FLYROD]

I know you are looking at h110, but consider L'il Gun. I have had good loads with 250 grain jhp 25.0 grs. Lil gun, 1400 fps, 1" groups at 25 yards. also used Lil gun for a friends 454. works great in both. go to the hodgdon site and search for loads for the 185 gr. this powder produces high velocity with low pressure.

[Lloyd Smale]

ball powders like 110 and lilgun burn hotter then others and with a lighter bullet less is burned in the case then with a slower bullet that will leave the case slower and this heat will slowly errode your forcing cone. I guess i never saw the need for flatter shooting loads in a handgun for hunting. I can easily sight in a 250 grian bullet a 1000 fps to hit the vitals of a deer anywhere from 25-100 yards without any hold over and in my opinion unless you are some kind of amazing handgunner that has years of experience that should be the limit to your hunting range even with a scope and about half that without one. Now you may be a much better shot then most but id have to doubt it because if you had that much experience you wouldnt be asking. There isnt a 185 grain bullet made that will stand up to full power 454 loads in the game field. Theres very few 250s if any that will. What you want to use in a 454 on game is a stout constructed 300 grain bullet at under 1500 fps. Thats where the 454 comes into its own not screaming light bullets at speeds faster then there designed for. A handgun is a hangun and doesnt react to the same theroys as a rifle does. If you want to shoot 180s at 2000 fps id suggest you by a tc contendor in 35 rem. scope it and shoot a bullet designed for those speeds. Excessive speed in a handgun will 9 times out of 10 just give you trouble and the slower heavier loads will kill better anyway. Your also going to find out that those light squatty bullets with there pour secitional densitys and pour ballistic coefiencency are going to act like parachutes and shed velocity fast and when your talking out to 200 yards probably wont shoot much flatter then the 300s. Sorry if this sounds sarcastic in anyway but i think you will have problems finding a knowlegable handguneer that disagrees with me.

[Gallahad]

Not at all Mr. Smale. That is helpful insight, and I thanks you. I don't think I could handle full power 454 loads, and thats why I was looking for ruger 45 loads or reduced 454 loads. (Why not get a 44 right?) Iv'e been wanting a revolver in 45 cal for some time, and figured I could do a lot with a 454. Are flake powders going to be easier on the gun in general? I haven't liked using ball powders in my 44's  and 357.

[warrior1]

check the imr hodgdon or winchester sites,they should refer you to their loading page,then follow the prompts for the
load(s) you want. if you do not have a manual yet , then check your local library or barnes and noble or even some used book stores your bound to find one you can spend some time reading. if you can buy one speer and lyman are a good bet.
seems midway has a pretty good assortment of manuals. whatever you do be safe and enjoy what you are doing., dan

[Lone Star]

Now I better understand what you intend to do.  For Ruger-level .45LC loads I'd stay away from 185s, they are too lightly constructed for deer and will not penetrate well.  I shot one deer at 10 yards with a 200 Speer HP in the back of the neck and the bullet penetrated less than 3".  Killed the deer by fracturing his skull but would it have worked twice in a row?  Use hunting bullets, you will not notice the difference in trajectory in the field between a 185 and a 250 in top Ruger-level loads, and the 250s kill better.

Winchester says not to reduce maximum loads with W296 (identical to H110) by more than 10%.  I have had missfires with loads just 5% below maximum in my .45LCs with H110.  Crimp and case neck tension are players here and can effect how well the ball powderss burn.

Bullets designed for the .454 have thicker jackets and harder cores to withstand the high pressures when they hit the forcing cone - the point where the maximum pressure in a revolver occurs.  Hornady makes XTP MAG bullets for the .454 and does not recommend the standard XTPs for higher end .454 loads.  Speer does not list top-pressure loads for any of their bullets (all soft) in the .454.

Bottom line - you will not damage your .454 revolver using Ruger-level loads in .45LC cases.  Some folks talk about erroding the chambers at the mouth of the .45 cases but this is usually just a hard deposit of fouling.  Actually if I wanted lower pressure .454 loads I'd just load .454 cases with BlueDot powder.  This powder gives lower recoil than equal velocities with H110 but can give velocities well above Ruger-level .45LC loads if desired.  Go here - http://www.freedomarms.com/ - and look under .454 Loading Data for some loads recommended by Freedom Arms .

A 240-grain XTP MAG bullet over 21 grains of BlueDot would give around 1588 fps at just 37,000 cup.  The charge could be reduced further if desired, but that is just a .44 Magnum-level load recoil-wise, perhaps slightly less.


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[Lloyd Smale]

if you want my advice. Buy yourself some 250 cast bullets from a good manufacture and load them in 454 brass with about 9-10 grains of unique and make that your plinking load. It will low in recoil and still handle deer sized game with no problem. theres nothing at all wrong with down loading a big gun. I do it all the time. Its a darned good way to learn your gun before you step up the the big stuff. Very few of my handguns are ever loaded up to there full power potential. I shot mild 44 mags and if that isnt good enough i load mild 500s. Its only been a few times ive actually had the 500s in the hunting field with full power loads. I have alot of respect for you! most people buy those dammed 454s and buy the and take them out to act macho and impress there buddys and never master them. thats why i have a dislike for the 454. It seems to be the gun of choise for idiots like that. Although the 460 smith seems to be giving it a run. The 500s are big enough to scare off most of the idiots. In all actuallity the 454 is a very good round that will handle anything in the world in the hands of someone that can shoot it and knows how to load for it properly for the job intented. Ive had a couple and just cant get over that mental block and they dont stay in the safe long. Someday in the future id wouldnt mind picking one up again and forcing myself to like it. A couple of my buddys that have them and shoot them well swear by them.

[corbanzo]

My pinking load for my .454 is a 250 grn cast over 8.2 grns of unique.  Accurate, works.  Around 800 fps.  Work work just fine for medium sized game. 

For 300 grainers, I have some JHP's over 6.9 grns of titegroup.  Light load.  Still high pressure, but not much recoil, I'd shoot a deer with it. 

You can load the .45colt pretty hot in ruger loads within specs.

I have my 360 grain thumpers loaded in .454 cases over 24grns of H110 for protection, and .45colt cases over 21grns of H110 for hunting.  Those are pretty much interchangeable though. 

I never really had much use in a .452 diameter for anything smaller than 250 grain.  If you want to push a 185 fast, I would recommend doing it in the .44 mag.  Look for bullets that are made specifically for the .454 casull if you are wanting to go smaller.

[Racer X]

Stay away from those light bullets and load 250 or 300 grain XTPs for jacketed. The hottest load data I have seen for the 250 XTP was in the Hodgdon's manual (also on the website) where H110 got it up to 1450 FPS. If you want to run them faster than that, go with the XTP MAG bullets as they have thicker jackets and were designed specifically for the 454 Cassull, but use Cassull brass and load data.

I highly recommend you get some loading manuals. Hornady and Speer both have sections devoted to Ruger Only 45 Colt loads. Also check the Hodgdon's Reloading Data Webiste at

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

[Ken Rummer]

Try www.handloads.com.  They have reloading data available.  Use with caution.